Babysitting Teddy
by silverfirelizard53
Summary: Teddy is staying over for the weekend, and Harry knows it's going to be a busy three days. However, what he didn't know was that he would be receiving some interesting 'help' from a four-year-old. So his plans to propose to Ginny didn't quite go the way he wanted. All Harry knows is that anything can happen when he's babysitting Teddy.
1. Change of Plans

**CHAPTER ONE**

Change of Plans

* * *

"Harry, you have no idea how much this helps me," Andromeda said, pushing her dark hair out of her face as she placed Teddy's overnight bag on the kitchen table. "I hate doing anything last minute, but I have to do this...for Ted."

Harry shrugged, smiling in spite of himself. "You know I'm always happy to look after Teddy. Please don't worry about it, Mrs. Tonks. You just worry about your sister-in-law."

"Are you sure you didn't have anything planned?"

There were times when Harry thought Andromeda looked almost identical to her late sister, Bellatrix, but this was not one of those moments. Her brown eyes were searching his desperately. He knew that she hated to inconvenience others, and it was because of this reason that Harry found himself unable to meet her eyes.

"I did," he admitted, sheepish under her pained reaction. "But I'm rescheduling it. It's no big deal."

"I feel so guilty," she replied.

Harry waved her off. "It really is no big deal. I already took a few days off work, and I promise you, my social life is not that interesting. Besides, Teddy is a lot cooler than anyone I know."

"Really?" Teddy asked, peering from behind his grandmother's skirts.

"I don't know any other kid that can make their hair blue, buddy."

It was like Christmas had come early for the boy. Neither of them seen him that excited since Hermione had told him that his impersonation of Harry looked spot-on, even though the boy had only been able to manage the black hair. Andromeda kissed her grandson goodbye. He stubbornly wiped it off his cheek. Ruffling the blue hair fondly, Harry told him to run upstairs and find Kreacher, who usually hid when the three-foot terror spent the night.

"I should warn you," Andromeda said, in a much better mood. "He's in an odd phase right now. I caught him lying to me, and I punished him so severely that he has vowed never to lie again."

"How is that a bad thing?"

Andromeda raised her eyebrows. "You'd be surprised, Harry. I'd best be going now, though. Ted's sister should almost be done with her treatment."

"Alright," Harry replied, leading her back to the fireplace. "I hope she feels better soon. And don't worry about Teddy. He'll be just fine with me."

She nodded. "Thank you, Harry. I owe you a favor."

He watched the blazing green fire consume her, and then she disappeared up the chimney and away from Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Grabbing Teddy's overnight bag, Harry slung it over his shoulder and walked upstairs to one of the spare bedrooms where Teddy usually slept. He passed Kreacher along the way; the elderly House Elf was mumbling more than usual, and Harry had to suppress a chuckle.

"Stop jumping on the bed, Teddy," he said, dropping the bag on the ground.

The four-year-old crossed his legs in midair and landed with a loud creak of old bed springs. He was definitely his mother's son. His head tilted curiously. "Why?"

"Because the bed is probably a hundred-years-old, and you're so strong you could probably break it. It belonged to my godfather's family, along with the house, and they have been passing this stuff down for generations. It's probably antique."

"But you could fix it with magic."

"But I don't want to fix it with magic."

"But you could."

Harry looked at the young boy's face, innocent and imploring, and he couldn't help but laugh. "You know, Teddy, I'm not going to lie. You are a too smart for your own good sometimes."

"I got punished for lying. Grandmother says it's bad," Teddy replied.

"I heard, and she's right."

Teddy pulled a face. "But you lied to Grandmother when she asked if you were busy."

"Oh dear," said Harry, running a hand through his messy black hair. "How do I explain this? You and your grandmother mean a lot to me, so I didn't want to upset her by saying that I couldn't watch you. Your Aunt Sara is not feeling very well, and your grandmother needed to go visit her. I'm doing her a favor. I guess, technically, I wasn't really lying because I went ahead and canceled my plans."

"Oh," Teddy replied, sliding off the bed. "What were you planning to do?"

"Take Ginny out to dinner."

Teddy stuck out his tongue, making a face of disgust.

"Trust me," said Harry, laughing. "You'll understand when you're older."

"But why would you want to do something so boring?"

"It's a fancy restaurant."

"Why?"

Harry frowned at all the questions. Four-year-olds could be so annoying sometimes. "Can you keep a secret, Teddy?"

Excitement blossomed in his gray eyes. He nodded quickly, standing up on tip-toe so he could lean closer toward Harry. "I'm good at keeping secrets! Is it dangerous?"

"Not exactly," said Harry. "Actually, I was going to ask Ginny to marry me."


	2. Miniature Quidditch

**CHAPTER TWO**

Miniature Quidditch

* * *

"Hello? Is anybody home?" called a voice from downstairs.

Harry launched himself off the floor and ran to the landing, where he could peer down from over the banister. "Ginny? What are you doing here?"

She looked up, eyes sparkling even in the gloomy house. "I still have the night off, and I came to see Teddy, of course."

"Ginny! Ginny! Ginny! Ginny!" the four-year-old shrieked as he raced down the stairs. She bent down as he tackled her into a hug, and Harry laughed as she nearly lost her balance. Although Ginny was dressed in a simple pair and jeans and a Weird Sisters t-shirt, she still looked lovely. As he walked down the stairs, Harry wondered briefly what she might have worn to their date had it not been canceled.

Teddy stepped back, showing Ginny one of his toy action figures on a broomstick. "Guess what, Ginny? Harry and I are playing with my Quidditch set and I'm beating him!"

"That's because you're going to be a great Quidditch player, Teddy," she replied, standing up and smiling at Harry. She then leaned forward and whispered; "It's really cute that you're letting him win."

Harry frowned. "It would be absolutely adorable if I was actually intending to lose."

Ginny repressed a laugh, and Harry's heart skipped a beat as she leaned over to kiss him. He had to be the luckiest guy on the earth to get a girl like her. They had been together for almost five years, and he still marveled at his good fortune every single day. She was kind, beautiful, tough, and coincidentally one of the world's best Quidditch players. They couldn't go anywhere without someone recognizing either of them, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

As Teddy rambled off about some play he had invented, Harry let his mind wander to the ring he had hidden in his bedroom. It was a simple thing, nothing gaudy or ostentatious, but rather a little gold band with a diamond to accent her pretty red hair and fair skin. Would she like it, though? Harry was almost positive that she would because Ginny wasn't big into wearing jewelry. Like right now, the only bit of jewelry that adorned her neck were the two D.A. coins she had left over from the war.

"Where are you, Harry?" Ginny asked, waving a hand in front of his face. "You're awfully spacey today."

Teddy led them into the kitchen, where Kreacher was preparing a nice dinner of steak and kidney pie. "He's upset because he didn't get to go out and eat at the fancy restaurant with you."

"Is he?" Ginny replied playfully. Harry's face flushed red. "What else did he say?"

Before Teddy could even open his mouth to respond, Harry cut in loudly. "I also said that I would love something good for dinner, and I believe Kreacher even made enough for you as well, Ginny!"

Although suspicious, Ginny turned and asked Kreacher if she could join them, to which the House-Elf obediently bowed and agreed. Harry, meanwhile, leaned over and whispered into Teddy's ear. "Don't even think about it, Ted. It's supposed to be a secret."

"But I —"

"What are you two whispering about?" Ginny asked.

Straightening up, Harry felt his heart jump uncomfortably in his throat. "Teddy was just telling me that he wanted to challenge you to a Quidditch match after dinner."

"You're lying again!" gasped the four-year-old.

Ginny looked from her sweating boyfriend to the little boy and back. Though not quite comprehending, she nevertheless knelt beside Teddy and said; "No way, I was just going to ask you if you wanted to play. I bet you could teach me something good for tomorrow's game."

"Really?" Teddy asked, sufficiently distracted.

Harry sat down at the table, slightly weak at the knees. He knew he was not out of dangerous water, however, because Ginny snuck him that familiar, stubborn look from under her curtain of ginger hair. Kreacher served them their dinner, and they ate through pleasant conversation. Once they were done, Teddy dragged them upstairs to his Quidditch set. The players were sitting around, impatiently waxing their broomsticks as they waited for instructions. Like always, Teddy picked his lucky blue team, and they launched themselves in the air. The red team, which had been so unhappy under Harry's direction, brightened up at the prospect of a professional Quidditch player. It was an interesting game to watch. Teddy was determined to win, like any normal four-year-old, but Ginny was more interested in watching the little players fly in formation and perform different plays. She lost, but it wasn't as terrible as Harry's defeat had been.

"But they ALWAYS win," complained one of the chasers of the red team, and Harry laughed as the tiny little hands balled into fists.

Teddy frowned. "Well, I guess I could play with them next time."

"That would be a good idea," said Ginny, who was watching the blue seeker fly in circles around the little pitch. "Remember my brother Ron? His favorite team is the Chudley Cannons, and before they started winning all those games, they had a terrible losing streak. It feels bad to lose all the time."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah," Harry responded. "But I think this little Quidditch player needs to go take a bath."


	3. Secret No More

**CHAPTER THREE**

Secret No More

* * *

While Teddy took a bath, Harry and Ginny wandered to the sitting room. His hand lightly brushed her the small of her back, and she smiled at him playfully as they sat down on the sofa. Harry's mind jumped briefly to what they might have been doing if Teddy hadn't needed babysitting.

"Too bad we couldn't go out to eat," she said lightly.

Harry thought of the ring upstairs and agreed. Prolonging the wait was close to painful.

"So what were you and Teddy whispering about earlier?"

"Nothing," he responded. "I was just reminding him to keep his manners."

Ginny frowned at him. 'Harry you may have finally mastered Occlumency, but you will never be able to master lying. Especially to me."

"It wasn't anything important. I promise."

She did not look satisfied. Harry inched closer to her, and he wrapped his arms around her so that she melted in his grasp. Rolling her eyes, Ginny nevertheless allowed herself a little kiss.

"You're trying to distract me," she said.

"Since when have you been able to read my mind?" he asked her, laughing.

A coy smile played on her lips. "Trust me: you're very easy to read."

He kissed her, softly at first, and then more fiercely. He pushed her down against the sofa, and she let him, turning her hips instinctively toward him. His heart beat madly against her own underneath him, and his fingers left her hair to the waistband of her jeans —

"Harry," Ginny started, her voice sharp despite the fact that it was slightly breathless. "We're not having sex when you're supposed to be babysitting Teddy."

"What's sex?"

Harry leapt backwards as though electrocuted, crashing into the old end table on the other side of the armrest. The green lamp it had been supporting went for an unfortunately short flight before smashing into a thousand pieces against the wall. Teddy was standing in the doorway, a towel wrapped around his little body. Harry stammered something that made no sense as he righted the poor old end table. He was torn between guilt and a mad desire to yell at the little boy who had interrupted something he so desperately wanted to continue. Meanwhile, Ginny had managed to gracefully sit up and straighten her clothes.

"Teddy," she said, acting as though nothing suspicious had happened. "That was quick! Are you already done with your bath?"

"Yes."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Did you use soap?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, then let's go get you dried off while Harry cleans this up, okay?"

Harry shot her a grateful look as she led Teddy up to his room.

Upstairs, Ginny seated him on his bed, and then she pulled out her wand to dry his damp hair. Teddy squirmed around, complaining about the varying temperatures until he finally agreed to sit still. Ginny was trying not to laugh about the whole situation. It was, in hindsight, quite funny.

"So what will you and Harry do tomorrow?" she asked him.

Teddy made a face in the direction of the 'burning air'. Although he wasn't old enough to wash his hair on his own, he always managed to get it wet in the bath. "Harry says we're going to go watch your Quidditch game."

"Oh, really?" she said, feigning surprise. "Then I'll have to play my best."

"Maybe we could go out to eat tomorrow!"

Ginny smiled. "Yeah, that would be nice. Would you like pizza? I know a great pizza place that we could go visit after the game."

"Yeah!" Teddy beamed, his eyes suddenly wide with excitement. "And then Harry could give you that ring like he was going to tonight!"

"Give me what?" she asked, dropping her wand. The gush of air propelled it forward like a rocket, where it bounced off the wall and clattered to the ground. Ginny reached to get it, but her eyes never left Teddy, who seemed to realize what he had said.

"Nothing," he responded sheepishly.

Ginny fought back the giant bubble of euphoria that had erupted in her stomach. "Teddy, you should not have told me. That's supposed to be a secret."

"I forgot," he said, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. "He's going to be mad at me!"

"No, he won't! We just won't tell him. It was an accident."

Teddy sniffed, staring up at Ginny hopefully. "Really?"

"Oh yeah," Ginny replied. "I forgot about it already."

"Forgot about what?" Harry asked as he entered the room. Teddy's eyes darted to Ginny frantically, but she merely shrugged and said; "I don't know, that's what I'm trying to remember."

Harry didn't give it a second thought. He pulled out Teddy's pajamas and helped the boy struggle into them. Once Teddy was appropriately dressed in his blue t-shirt and gray sweatpants, Harry pulled back the covers on the bed and let the boy hop under them. Ginny, who wanted nothing more than to scream and throw her arms around her boyfriend (no, fiancé!), retreated from the room.

"Can you tell me a story, Harry?" she heard Teddy ask.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I fought that giant snake?"

Ginny ran into the bathroom, closing it quickly behind her. She knew the room wasn't soundproof, so she bit her lip and danced around instead. Then she sat down on the floor and contemplated the name _Ginny Potter._


	4. England Vs Russia

**CHAPTER FOUR**

England Vs. Russia

* * *

The press box was a lovely relief from the bitter cold outside. Harry helped Teddy out from under his many layers, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for Ginny, who was currently flying around the stadium for the pre-match 'warm-up'. Even though he knew they used charms to keep their bodies warm while they played high up in the frigid air, Harry could see even at this distance that his girlfriend's face was abnormally pink from the snowy wind. He hoped the match wouldn't be too long, for her sake. It was a pre-season match, and she was the brand-new player for England's national team.

"Where's Ron and Hermione?" Teddy asked, looking around the large, and still rather empty, press box.

Harry sat down in one of the six blue chairs marked with the name 'Weasley' embellished on silver name tags. Teddy crawled into the one beside him. He was so excited that he sat on his knees, his face an expression of awe as the players zoomed before them on broomsticks. It was not Teddy's first Quidditch match by any stretch of the imagination, but he was always equally impressed. His grandmother had not let him even touch a broom, much less ride one.

"Hey, Teddy, do you want to sit on your jacket so you can see?" he asked.

"Look! Look!" Teddy shouted, standing up in his chair and pointing to a couple who had just entered the press box in a blast of cold wind.

Ron and Hermione both grinned when they saw Teddy, and they quickly hurried past a group of fur-clad women speaking rapid Russian. Although rather windswept, Hermione's face was glowing as she wrapped Teddy in a giant hug. Ron ruffled the boy's hair fondly.

"I swear you grow a several inches every time I see you, Teddy," Hermione said, and then she turned to give Harry a hug and a kiss.

Ron clapped him on the shoulder. "Alright, Harry?

"Yeah, I'm enjoying the time off work. Everything okay at the office?"

Rolling his eyes, Ron sat down beside Hermione, who was already busy talking to Teddy. "It's a little hectic. I swear Fitzgerald asked me twenty times when you were coming back. We had an incident with a false Death Eater sighting, and he pretty much wet himself and had a panic attack without you there. It took everything to keep him from trying to call you in. The little as — I mean jerk — has stepped on my last nerves. We are not his inferiors."

Harry groaned. "Don't get caught up in work drama. I'll talk to Robards when I get back."

"Harry," Hermione said, her voice a little higher than usual. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Harry, who knew exactly what she was going to say, stood up and walked to the corner of the box with a little trepidation. She was going to ask about Ginny. Hermione had known about the whole plan. In fact, she had even helped him pick out the ring and organize the details. Although the plan had fallen through, Harry was still thankful for her assistance. Not for the first time, he wondered where he would be if he had never met Hermione Granger.

"So you didn't ask?"

Harry shook his head, glancing back to Ron, who was currently teaching Teddy a secret handshake.

"What are you going to do?"

"Not sure," he sighed. "Maybe I'll just plan the thing again for next week. Teddy just threw a wrench through the whole ordeal. He knows, by the way."

Hermione smiled. "What does he think?"

"He's four. I'm not sure he understands much of anything. He probably just makes the connection back to your wedding."

Hermione glanced unconsciously down to her own wedding band. She and Ron had only been married for a few months, with Harry and Ginny as the best man and maid of honor respectively. "Well, Ron still doesn't know, so I wouldn't say anything yet because you know how he is with secrets," she sighed.

Harry laughed.

"What are you two talking about? Come on, the match is about to start!" Ron said, beckoning them back to their seats just as the giant scoreboard cleared itself of all advertisements.

"WELCOME ALL, WELCOME ALL TO THE PRE-SEASON MATCH BETWEEN ENGLAND'S OWN —"

A roar of excitement sprang up from the home team's side. Teddy stood up in his seat, waving the little flag that Ginny had bought him when her spot on the national team had been announced. Harry cheered along with him, his own hands raw from clapping.

"— AND THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL TEAM!"

Both sets of players rushed out in a whir of bright colors, fireworks launching from the starting gate and popping like stars over the pitch. Harry quickly found Ginny, whose red ponytail streaked behind her like an unrolled banner. Sometimes, he just liked watching her fly. It was as though she were unsupported by nothing but the air itself.

The players lined up around the pitch while the referee came out amid a crowd of cheers. He was carrying the game balls, and when he got to the middle of the field, he released all but the Quaffle. Then Ginny and the opposing team's head chaser lined up opposite each other and paused in the air as the referee prepped the first toss.

"AND THEY'RE OFF!"

Ginny streaked upward and caught the Quaffle before the opposing team could reach it. She took off like a bullet with the other players in line behind her.

"WEASLEY, JENKENS, ORSO, WEASLEY, ORSO, WEASLEY — SHE SHOOTS — SHE SCORES!"

Harry, Ron, and Teddy jumped out of their seats, cheering loudly as Ginny punched the air during her victory lap. Teddy was cheering her name, his little voice cutting through the noisy crowd to Harry's ears. He laughed and then picked the boy up and placed him on his shoulders. There were not many people in the box, and therefore, nobody's view was obstructed. Teddy turned his hair bright England red in excitement.

"If Ginny scores over one hundred points, I'm buying dinner!" Harry shouted over his shoulder to Ron and Hermione.

"Did you bring the ring?" Teddy whispered into Harry's ear.

Harry looked up at him. "No, I didn't, Teddy. Please promise not to say anything."

"I promise."


	5. Disastrous Dinner

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Disastrous Dinner

* * *

A handful of reporters followed them all the way to the door of the restaurant, clicking cameras in their direction. Harry led his crew to an empty table in the corner, breathing in the delicious smell of cooking pizza. Teddy was in awe as he stared at the moving paintings on the walls, each canvas depicting an idyllic Italian countryside. The restaurant owner hurried over, obviously excited by the attention his little shop was receiving. They ordered drinks and pizzas for the table, and then the little man hurried back to the kitchen.

"I wish they hadn't followed us," Hermione grumbled.

Ginny took a sip from the water that had just been delivered, her hair still damp from her after-game shower. "Try going shopping for baby clothes to give Bill and Fleur. The headlines always announce that I'm pregnant the next day."

"I like baby Niki," Teddy announced to the table. "Vic and I do a good job babysitting her."

"I bet you are a good babysitter," Ron said.

The pizza was carried out to them, the cheese still simmering from the oven. Harry dished out a small piece for Teddy, and he cut it into little sections. They then dived into their own pizza, savoring the taste in semi-silence. Teddy couldn't sit still while he ate; he stood up and shifted back and forth, pizza sauce on his chin.

"Harry," Ron started. "What are you guys going to do tonight?"

"Usually I go with Ginny to one of Dorothy Orso's after-parties, but I think Teddy and I will just go home and get Kreacher to make us some hot chocolate."

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, I think there will be a lot of 'adult beverages' tonight."

"Like chocolate milk?" Teddy asked, causing Ron to choke on his pizza. "Grandma says I can't have chocolate milk because there's too much sugar in it."

"Yes, Teddy, like chocolate milk," Harry replied, trying to restrain his laughter.

They laughed and talked for a few more minutes, and Harry almost wished the reporters would pick up their cameras and record this happy moment. He could almost see the headlines tomorrow morning: WEASLEY SCORES 120 POINTS FOR ENGLAND, ENJOYS DINNER WITH LOVING BOYFRIEND HARRY POTTER AND FAMILY. The accompanying picture would be beautiful...just a perfectly normal family enjoying a night out.

"Can I have some Knuts, Harry?" Teddy asked, pointing at some candy machines in the corner.

Harry dug out some change from the pocket of his robes. "If you wipe your mouth on that napkin, yeah."

Teddy ran off in the direction of the candy machines. Ginny, meanwhile, had snuck a hand under the table and laid it to rest on the top of his thigh. He put his own hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze. She shot him a smile. A part of Harry wished that she would just skip Orso's party tonight and join them for hot chocolate, but he knew better than to ask; Ginny loved being a part of the national team. She was desperate to feel included in such an imposing group of people.

"What did you get, Teddy?" Hermione asked as the boy came skipping back.

The chubby little hand opened up. Sitting on his palm was a flashy plastic ring. Harry's stomach literally vanished, and his hand twitched nervously around Ginny's.

"Ginny, I got you a ring!" Teddy said, quite proud of himself.

"Oh, how sweet! Thank you!"

Ginny picked up the little ring and squeezed it on the end of her pinky finger, the only one it would have fit on. She then put her hand back within Harry's, but her fingers felt stiff against his own. The little plastic ring felt like a burn against his palm.

Ron thought it was a funny joke. "Teddy, one of these days you're going to have all the little girls following after you!"

"It's not for me!" Teddy exclaimed, almost repulsed by the idea of girls following him. "I got it so Harry and Ginny can get married now. He forgot his ring."

There was an awkward and terrifyingly long pause at the table. Hermione slowly set down her slice of pizza and looked at Harry, her face unreadable. Ginny pulled her fingers from Harry's hand as though electrocuted, and the air between them became uncomfortable. Only Ron seemed exceptionally confused. He looked at each of their faces in turn, searching for an answer.

"You're engaged! Why didn't you tell us?" he finally blurted out, looking hurt, but then he grunted as Hermione kicked him swiftly under the table.

Ginny tugged on Harry's shirt and then leaned forward to whisper; "Can I talk to you in private?"

Feeling as though his feet had turned to lead, Harry stood up and followed her to the little darkened hallway by the bathrooms. Ginny then turned to face him, arms crossed. She looked a little bit like her mother had whenever she had discovered that her youngest sons had flown across country to rescue Harry from his imprisonment at the Dursleys. He felt like he was twelve again, even though he hadn't technically done anything wrong yet.

"Can you explain?" she asked.

"I was going to propose to you yesterday, but then Teddy came around and messed everything up. I don't know what his problem is, this isn't like him. It was supposed to be a secret."

"Why are you blaming him? He's only four!"

Harry blinked at her. "Hey, look, don't be mad at me! I just wanted that moment to be perfect."

"No, you wanted it to be normal," Ginny sighed. "I thought you were going to propose tonight! That moment was perfect! Perfect for us! Just face it, Harry, we're not normal. Stop trying to make everything a postcard version of what you think perfect should be between us. I would've been perfectly fine if you had asked me yesterday anyway!"

"Right, I'm sorry for trying."

"If you're going to be rude about this, I'm going to go ahead and go to Dorothy's."

Harry felt his neck flush with heat. "I'm upset about the surprise being ruined! I was looking forward to that all week!"

"It wasn't a surprise. I already knew."

"How?"

"I found the ring," Ginny lied. She unconsciously glanced at Teddy sitting anxiously beside Ron and Hermione. Harry felt anger and shame boil in his stomach.

"Great. Just great. You can go ahead and leave now if you want. I wouldn't want you to miss your stupid party."

She gave a slight noise of indignation, and then she turned on her heel and left. Harry sulked back to the table and sat down, no longer hungry for the pizza he still had left sitting on his plate. The reporters outside the restaurant were taking picture after picture as Ginny pushed her way through. The flashing lights filled the room with a sickening glow. Sensing that something was wrong, Teddy started crying.

Harry did not want to see the headlines tomorrow.


	6. Proposal

**CHAPTER SIX**

Proposal

* * *

Harry rolled over onto his side, groaning as the owl at the window rapped on the glass pane. He pushed himself from the depths of the covers and jerked the window from its rigid frame. The owl flew inward, but Harry merely shoved the newspaper under his bed. He did not want to read it, and his head hurt anyway. He hadn't slept very well. Part of him was upset at Ginny, and the other part (a substantially bigger part) was more upset with himself. He crawled back into bed and pulled the pillows over his head in an attempt to block out the noise of London drifting through the open window. The delivery owl helped itself to the change on Harry's dresser, and then it soared out the window with an indignant hoot.

He had almost fallen back asleep when he heard the sound of tiny feet in the hallway. He had been rather cold to Teddy last night. The boy had gone straight to bed once they had gotten home from the restaurant. Harry knew it was rather cruel, and he hated himself for doing it, but he hadn't wanted Teddy's company very much after his argument with Ginny. The door creaked open ever so slightly, and he could hear Teddy's small feet in on the hardwood of his bedroom.

"Hey, Teddy," he said, his voice muffled by the pillows.

Teddy ran out of the bedroom, pulling the door shut loudly behind him. Harry groaned, realizing that he would have to get up and apologize to him. He pushed himself back up, his hair sticking straight on end from the static of his pillow case. On his bedside table, there was a little hand-drawn picture of what appeared to be two people holding hands. One was very tiny and had blue hair. The other was a giant in comparison, and judging by the squiggly features, it might have been Harry. _IM SORY_ was written on it in disjointed letters, and the one and only _R_ was backwards.

Harry suddenly felt really guilty.

There was a knock at his bedroom door. Thinking it was Teddy, Harry pulled open the door to find Ginny. She was still dressed in her pajamas, and her hair was tangled and unkempt. In her hands, she held a card similar to Harry's.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

Harry stood aside to let her pass. She was one of the few people who had access to his house at all times. It had been Hermione's idea to keep a severe amount of protection on Harry's house, despite the decrease of danger. Everyone else who wanted to enter had to have direct permission from Harry himself.

"How did Teddy send that to you?" he asked, pointing at her card. The little boy had drawn a decent impression of a heart on hers.

She blinked. "I thought you helped him. Your owl delivered it."

"Really?" Harry asked. "I've been asleep all morning."

They paused for a moment, both standing awkwardly with their words from the night before echoing in the silence between them. Then Ginny laughed, and the sweet sound shattered any uncomfortable feelings. Harry joined her in laughing, and then put his glasses on to see everything more clearly. Ginny looked rather pretty in an old t-shirt of his and sweatpants. The thought made him laugh even harder.

"Merlin, that kid is going places," he said. "Four-years-old, and he's already messing with our heads."

Ginny sat herself upon Harry's bed, patting the edge in an invitation that Harry could join her. "At Dorothy's party last night, I started thinking about us after having a few drinks."

"Did drunk you think in my favor?"

"Yeah," she responded, sheepishly.

Harry nudged her slightly, more playful now that he was sure he was out of dangerous waters. "I like drunk you. She should come around more often."

"Harry James Potter!" she said, smacking him sternly on the knee. "I wasn't THAT drunk. I play for the national team, remember? Anyway, I realized that you were probably right about the whole ring thing. You went through the trouble of planning it, and I shouldn't act ungrateful. I let my emotions get in the way again."

Harry gave a small smile. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you, too. I was out of line."

Suddenly there was no reason for either of them to be mad anymore. It had been just a stupid argument. The harsh words had fallen away in the silence of Harry's old house. He reached up and pushed back a strand of Ginny's hair to better see her beautiful freckled face. She leaned forward and kissed him.

"Are you still mad?" asked a small voice.

Harry and Ginny broke apart to see Teddy standing in the doorway. His little face looked imploringly at them, and in his oversized t-shirt, he seemed much younger than his four years. Harry reached forward and pulled him onto the bed. His little family sat together, broken but still perfect anyway.

"No," Harry told him. "Thank you for the card."

"Yeah, I liked mine too," Ginny said.

Then suddenly, Teddy began to cry. Little tears slid from his big gray eyes and down his cheeks. They wrapped their arms around him and stroked the slightly curly, light brown hair. It was the same hair he had inherited from his father.

"Don't be mad," he whimpered piteously.

"Oh, Teddy," Ginny said, kissing his little face. "We are not mad at you."

Harry grabbed his hands. "Look, it's my fault. I shouldn't have told you until I was ready to ask her. You were just wanting to help, and you love to help."

"Are you still going to get married?"

Ginny looked at Harry. The heat was burning in his face. They still hadn't jumped this particular hurtle. "Teddy, we'll get married when we're ready."

"Will you be my mummy and daddy then?"

The two adults turned to look at each other, aghast. This simple revelation from the bottom of Teddy's heart nearly had them in tears as well. Harry had no idea that this had been bothering Teddy, but now that he thought about it, the evidence was crystal clear. Suddenly, Harry didn't see his godson, but a scrawny child with jet-black hair and a scar who cried himself to sleep in the cupboard under the staircase. That same little boy who sat by himself at parent-teacher conferences, twiddling his fingers and swinging his legs because they couldn't touch the ground. That past version of Harry could reach out and relate to Teddy, who was just as parent-less as he had once been.

"Hey, buddy," Harry said, looking him square in the eye. "We can't be your parents, even if we tried. You have parents, but they aren't here anymore. Your grandmother is here, and she loves you very much. She'll always love you like she did your mummy and daddy."

Teddy didn't understand. "I wish you could be my dad."

"I'm not your dad, but I'll always be there for you. You're my Teddy, and we'll always love you no matter what."

Ginny pulled Teddy close to her, and he opened his arms for a hug. "I'll always be here, too Teddy. We can't be your parents, but we can certainly be the coolest best friends ever. Plus, Harry's your godfather, and that's almost like a real father."

This seemed to satisfy the boy for now, and he gave a nod, his hair changing once again to blue. Harry smiled at Ginny, and a sudden thought (no, an inspiration!) struck him. Last night, his girlfriend had been mad about him trying to be 'too normal'. _Well_ , he thought, as he noted their unkempt hair and pajamas. _Now was the most abnormal of times to propose._

He stood up and yanked open his sock drawer. There, buried amongst all his mismatched socks, was a small little box. Grasping it in his hands, Harry turned back to Ginny, whose face widened in shock. He knelt down beside her.

"Ginevra Molly…" he started.

She grimaced. "Please don't call me that!"

"Sorry," Harry apologized. "Ginny, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

"A thousand times over, Harry, yes."

o – o – o – o – o – o – o

Kreacher had just finished bringing them another hot plate of cinnamon rolls when the hearth fire blazed green and Andromeda landed gracefully on the stone kitchen floor. She appeared tired and careworn, but nevertheless overjoyed when she saw her grandson. He gave her a giant hug, sugary-icing finding its way from his sticky fingers to her robes. Teddy's bag had already been packed and placed in the corner. The only problem was that he was not yet dressed. Harry and Ginny had decided that pajamas and breakfast at noon was a lot cooler than any normal midday meal.

"Did you have a good time?" Andromeda asked her grandson.

Ginny stood up, flashing the ring on her finger. "I don't know about Teddy, but I sure had a good time."

The older woman gave an uncharacteristic squeal of delight and hugged the two. Harry felt his ribs nearly crack with the force of her excitement; he'd have to get used to this. "Any dates? Any details?"

"None right now," Ginny responded. "But Teddy is going to be our ring bearer."

"Because I'm really good at helping," the little boy added.

Harry could only laugh.


End file.
